Eyes and Fingers of a Canadian Nerd with only a spellcheck to edit the work.

17 Oct 2014

Mass Effect 2 Journal - 03

Omega - the dark mirror image of the Citadel. Found in Terminus space a hive and center point for all scum and villany. Somewhere here lies three of Shepard's candidates: The Veteran, The Professor and Archangel.

Omeg
by Bioware

Upon arrving EDI the Normandy's AI - updates him that a quarentine is in effect in the lower hab levels. The Professor is running a triage clinic in the area fighting the plague that's come up. With that good news up front Shepard, Jacob, and Kasumi get off the gangway and enter Omega.

Shepard's team is greeted by a Baterian Thug who works for Aria, the one who runs Omega. Shepard ignores the request and sends the thug off. Reapers scare Shepard not gang bosses. They also stumble onto Zaeed Massani the Veteran before they enter the main level. Luck would have it that Shepard would not have to hunt down the expert Merc. Instead Shepard stumbleds on Zaeed getting his last job completed.

Zaeed is tough and no non-sense. He also dosn't care about Cerberus. It clear right from the start - he has a job he needs done and Cerberus is paying him lots of money. Those two things are the only reasons he is accepting Shepard's job offer to go through the Omega - 4 relay (aka the suicide mission).

Shepard once more finding a Cerberus free individual, sends Jacob back to the Normandy. Shepard hopes to keep Cerberus loyal crew only as close as needed to get the job done. He steps into Omega's trade zones and picks up supplies and sorts out a slave issue between and Hannar and a Quarian. Only the outbreak and some rumours of the three main Merc forces - Eclipse, Bloodpack, and Blue Suns are in a stand off on another level below. Everytime Shepard tries to get somewhere - he's cut off. Someone has limited his access within the station.

Fine time to see the host.
Shepard now unable to access the areas he wants decides to finally make contact with the center of Omega: Aria T'Loak. Meeting her was simple - her guards kept weapons on Shepard and the team until they confirmed it was him before they let him closer to Aria. She made it simple - the one and only rule on Omega is Don't Fuck with Aria.

Shepard replies he has that same rule. Aria didn't seem convinced but that was her problem. Shepard had more important concerns and getting into a pissing match with a crime boss regarding who was more scary was low on the list. She advised that the Mercs were hiring independents to end a stand off (act as fodder) with Archangel. Archangel is pinned on some of the lower levels of the station. Aria gave Shepard the access to the station he needed - free on her limits. Shepard decided to pay the Mercs a visit.

It was not hard to convince the Merc rep doing the hiring that Shepard, Kasumi, and Zaeed were tough enough for the job. Instead it was the young station rat who had bought a gun took the most convincing. The young punk was wanting to join up - make a name. Be that tough guy. Shepard had seen enough waste and he knew that he would have to gun down this kid if he got in Shepard's way to extract Archangel from this stalemate. He smashed the Kid's pistol and left - not today.

Once they arrived, Shepard got to work setting up and making the lives of the three Merc companies difficult. He hacked the Mercs Mech supply, turning off the IFF (Identify Friend Foe) systems, looted the locked supplies, and met the leadership. When they met Zaeed was recognized - he had some ties with the Blue Suns it seemed. Shepard would investigate more later, but he and his team were tasked to assault Archangels posistion and weeken his defenses. Before leaving they found the bosses assault craft getting worked on by the tech. Shepard dropped him and moved on.

When the Assault started - Shepard took a hit from Archangel who had built a firebase and was using it as a Snipers Nest. Shepard and his team quickly broke away from the rest of the independents and got to Archangel.

Garrus Vakarian aka Archangle
by Bioware

Garrus - closest friend on the Normandy next to Liara. His right hand and orgional memeber of Shepard's assault team. Garrus was Archangel. Shepard smiled for the first time since he had been risen from the dead. For once he is surrounded by a real friend... a friend who three full Merc companies want dead.

Too bad for them.

Shepard's work before linking up with Garrus pays off. The Mechs sow discord throug the attacking Merc ranks while Garrus picks off those left behind. Zaeed and Kasumi support Shepard as he drops any that get too close. The Eclipse leader is the last to go down as Shepard Charges him and guns down his men around him. When the Mercs advance comes to a lull - Shepard and Garrus quickly discern that the Mercs have found another way in. The Bloodpack have started to come through the service corridors - leaving Kasumi behind, because she'll stay close keeping the element of surprise and Shepard has bonded with her. Zaeed will work the tunnels with Shepard, sealing off those access corridors is the new objective.

After some furious close quarter fighting, Shepard and Zaeed emerge back to the Garrus and Kasumi. The access corridors are sealed but the Bloodpack leader leads a last dicth assult into the building. As his guard punch their way up through to Garrus and Kasumi, Shepard and Zaeed fight their way back to Garrus. The Bloodpack leader fell quickly to Garrus' sniper fire while Shepard got up close with the Krogan - Just like old times.

Last on the list were the Blue Suns who started by breaching in through the walls and windows. Shepard and Kasumi rushed in clearing off targets while Zaeed and Garrus laid down short bursts and accurate sniper fire respectively. When all seemed quiet the leader arrived in his Assault Craft - without shields thanks to the technician being unable to finish his work.

The fight went on, the Mercs poured in, Shepard was rushing from one to another Shotgun blazing as he slammed into the Mercs. A flash of Kasumi uncloaking before she brings her omni-blade down was always followed by a burst of fire from Zaeed's assault rifle. Once the Assault Craft started to fail - a final missile speed through the team and exploded next to Garrus. Garrus was down -

It was a blurr back to the Normandy. Shepard was on the comms calling for an EVAC, have Dr Chakwas ready for Garrus. It was bad...

Garrus lived, he's suffered horrid wounds. The damage was severe but Garrus was a tough bastard. Shepard gave him a new undamaged armour and welcomed him to crew. Jacob and Mirranda were less then welcome, but they were Cerberus - Garrus was one of Shepard's family.

Garrus and Kasumi were the only ones he trusted. Kasumi she was one of them once Shepard learned about her motives, Garrus was from the old guard. They were experts, there was no need for training like last time. Garrus had put together a Merc team to hunt those that got away, cleaning up space of the worst before one of the team betrayed the rest.

Only Garrus had survived.

Garrus hurt
by Bioware

Garrus locked himself in the forward gun battery working on improving the current weapon load outs. Shepard came to understand that he was not the only one affected by his absence - Tali and Kaiden had moved on, Liara was in Illium as an information Broker, Wrex somewhere on his homeworld... they would each have been through things. Hopefully better experiences than poor loyal Garrus.

His friend was back but he was hurt - Shepard left him alone and returned to his quarters. He still had work to do.

Shepard had an Assault team again but the job was bigger than just his team of three. He needed a crew with information, inovations, and skills that would make sure he would be able to stop the Collectors and the Reapers.

Garrus! getting back together with Garrus was awesome - but Garrus had changed. He was no longer as niave as Shepard remebered he had become hardened after his own ordeals. He had became a leader in his own right - modeling a team after Shepard's crew on the orgional Normandy.

As a player - I was hoping Garrus was not dead. That would have sucked, he was a favorite through many of my previous Mass Effect playthroughts and I always forgot he takes a missile to the face after you bust up the Mercs.

Also I now had a solid team to work with. Garrus and Liara was the Alpha Team in Mass Effect, now in Mass Effect 2 it was Garrus and Kasumi. Garrus was the same long range support and busting out tech support as needed - Kasumi added to that tech adavantage. Yet instead of keeping enemies under control with biotics she shadowed Shepard as he moved up and engaged with little regard for his own safety. Shepard had changed the way he fought and Kasumi was the best and most trusted partner to his long range biotic fueled slamming charges.

He hit a few, scattering them and knocking surviviors to the ground and then strat unloading with the shotgun. When things started toheat up around him, Kasumi would pop in a give Shepard enough time to back up and ready another asssult. Repeat over and over. Each battle was frantic and never boring.

Who is Dozer

My name is Dozer, I work for the Oppressive Arm of the Man as a 1st level boss. I warned everyone that a Tauntun wouldn't make it past the first marker and walking into Mordor is a poor idea. I stole those drugs from that journalist on Friday to keep the Spice flowing. My Little Black Pig is always getting lost but he's not singing in that punk band 'the Replicants' anymore. I've got levels in Nerd, with some student feats and a few advancements in Husband. The cat is dead - ignore that eight and a half by eleven. Be happy said cat wasn't fed to a murderous ATM machine from the 1980's. Tap this card and spend 1 Colourless Mana, 1 Blue Mana and 1 Black Mana to activate the Intrigue/Psi, Human only Conflict - 'Where is John Galt?'. I was almost eaten by a Grue but I know the Konami code and Cup taught me the Universal Greeting. My ARO is pop my Feat and pass the dice for armour saves. Don't ask why we don't have enough fuel to make 88 mph. It has to do with making room for the tuna, fighting over crackers and a Big Gay Robot. For those of you who want to know I call it 'Dick Grayson'. Chocolate covered pretzel? Damn Romulan Ale. Yip yip!